Cape Town - Cooler days, longer nights mean that cooks are drawn back into the kitchen, especially when they’ve collected a bag of bright red tomatoes, a few cucumbers, fresh ripe chillies and a tray of sweet clingstone peaches, all at bargain prices.
This is when the urge to preserve takes over, and homes are filled with the aromas of herbs and spices, vinegar and sugar, as we dry, pickle, bottle and freeze.
For those who do not have the time or facilities – or are happy to leave these culinary activities to the experts – the V&A Waterfront’s Market is the place to visit.
While this is a venue that stocks an array of international fare, local is lekker, fresher and more carbon-friendly, and you will find plenty to please at the stalls of butchers and bakers, chocolatiers and cheesemakers.
Some focus on organic produce and products adding to the fine range of artisanal, delicious goodies for family meals or fuss-free home entertaining.
Find the market, which is open seven days a week, in Nobel Square near the Two Oceans Aquarium.
A few of the traders share seasonal preserve recipes with readers below – these could inspire home production of jewelled preserves that capture summer flavours for winter cheer.
Roasted cherry tomato relish
This moreish preserve from Tracklements is both versatile and voguish, offering flavour-packed toppings for pasta and pizza, foccaccia and flatbread, as well as a zesty accompaniment to grilled chicken, fish and hamburgers. This recipe will fill six jars.
1.3kg cherry tomatoes
125ml (half cup) olive oil
1tsp fresh thyme, chopped
pinch of black pepper or to taste
250g onion, chopped
450ml cider vinegar
25g freshly crushed garlic
3tsp sea salt
300g raw cane sugar
1 fresh red chilli, chopped
2ml whole coriander seed
2ml whole cumin seed
25g canned tomato puree
Preheat oven to 200ºC. Halve the tomatoes lengthwise, arrange them in a roasting tin, cut side up. Drizzle the tomatoes with the oil, sprinkle with the thyme and the pepper and roast for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, dice the onions and cook them in a large thick-based saucepan in half of the vinegar until they are soft, about 20 minutes. When the onion is tender, add the roasted tomato and remaining ingredients, bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until you have a thick, smooth relish.
Bottle while warm in sterilised jars.
About Cheese’s cucumber pickle
This easy no-cook relish can be made in minutes and will add zest to any cheese board, will complement roast beef and other cold cuts, and can double as a piquant salad for a braai. Quantities will depend on the size of your cucumbers and personal taste, so adjust as you go.
3tbs sugar
1tsp salt
pinch black pepper
3tbs white vinegar
2tbs vegetable oil
3 medium cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced
Combine sugar, salt, pepper, vinegar and oil in a jar. Screw on lid tightly and shake until all ingredients are well mixed.
Combine cucumber slices and onion slices in a bowl.
Pour pickling mixture onto vegetables and stir to combine. Leave at least 30 minutes or longer and chill before serving.
Martha Stewart’s quince preserve
Quinces are old-fashioned fruit that have come back into vogue over the last few years. Their flavour is unsurpassed, and they cook to a beautiful pink colour when stewed. Cooks who have time and patience can also transform them into jelly, perfect for roast lamb and venison. They are coming into season now. Market traders About Cheese use American celebrity cook Martha Stewart’s recipe for their preserve.
4 quinces (about 900g), trimmed
1.1kg white sugar (5½ cups)
5 cups water
3tbs fresh lemon juice
Bring quinces, half-cup sugar and the water to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer gently until quinces are tender, about 1 hour, 30 minutes. Scoop out quinces and leave to cool. Reserve cooking liquid.
Coarsely chop quinces, and return to pot (including seeds, cores, skins). Bring to a boil. Slowly stir in remaining 5 cups sugar and the lemon juice. Cook, stirring often, until preserves are thick and register 220°C on a candy thermometer, about 25 minutes. Pass through a fine-mesh sieve. Leave to cool before bottling in sterilised jars.
Blue Sky’s black olive marmalade
This is an unusual marmalade offering a complexity of flavours that can be used as both a savoury and sweet condiment.
1.3kg oranges
Juice of 2 lemons
1.3kg pitted and chopped cured black olives
2.6kg preserving or granulated sugar
Ginger, chilli or cinnamon, optional
Place the whole, unpeeled oranges and lemon juice in a large preserving pan or saucepan, cover with 2 litres water, and weigh down oranges to keep them submerged.
Bring to the boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer gently about 2 hours or until peel can be easily pierced with a fork. Remove from heat and add the olives, return to the boil for a further two hours. Add additional flavouring in the form of root ginger, chilli or stick cinnamon, if desired.
Warm half the sugar in a very low oven. Pour off the cooking water from the oranges into a jug and tip the oranges into a bowl. Return cooking liquid to the pan. Leave oranges until cool, then cut in half. Scoop out the pips and pith and add to the reserved orange liquid in the pan. Bring to the boil for 6 minutes, then strain this liquid through a sieve and press the pulp through with a wooden spoon – it is high in pectin so gives marmalade a good set.
Pour half this liquid into a preserving pan. Cut the orange peel with a sharp knife into fine shreds. Add half the peel to the liquid in the preserving pan with the warm sugar. Stir over a low heat until all the sugar has dissolved, for about 10 minutes, then bring to the boil and bubble rapidly for 15 to 25 minutes until setting point is reached.
Take pan off the heat and skim any scum from the surface. (To dissolve any excess scum, drop a small knob of butter on to the surface, and gently stir.) Leave the marmalade in the pan for 20 minutes to cool and allow the peel to settle; then pot in sterilised jars, seal and label. Repeat process for second batch, warming the other half of the sugar first.
Makes about 4.5kg. - Cape Argus